You will probably have seen news stories about long queues at EU airports causing delays and even missed flights. These are a direct consequence of the rollout of the EU’s EES scheme. Here’s everything you need to know.

What's EES, and how does it work?

EES stands for Entry/Exit System. It began its phased rollout in October 2025 and became fully operational across all 29 Schengen countries in April 2026. The scheme monitors who enters, exits and transits through the Schengen Area.

EES is designed for short stays (up to 90 days in any 180 days) by visitors from what the EU calls 'third countries' – all countries not part of the EU or the Schengen Area. Post-Brexit, that includes the UK.

EES replaces the old passport-stamping system. On your first visit to the EU post EES rollout, you'll need to provide biometric data – fingerprints and a photograph. Children under 12 need a photo but not fingerprints. Subsequent border crossings should be quicker, as the system only needs to verify your data rather than register it.

Travellers to the EU have experienced long airport queues since the EES rollout | Credit: Canva

What's gone wrong with EES so far?

In theory, EES should make border crossings faster and more secure. In practice, the rollout has been chaotic – and the problems are serious enough that the travel industry is now pushing Brussels to suspend the system during the summer peak.

Queues of two to four hours have been reported at major airports including Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Frankfurt. Processing times at some airports have increased considerably compared to pre-EES levels.

In some instances, border officers at some airports have abandoned the biometric checks altogether and reverted to manual passport stamping. Even returning travellers whose biometrics are already on file have found themselves stuck in the same queues as first-timers, adding bottlenecks.

The worst incident came on 13 April at Milan Linate, when an easyJet flight to Manchester departed with just 34 of its 156 booked passengers on board. The remaining 122 travellers were left behind, trapped in passport control queues. EasyJet held the aircraft at the stand for nearly an hour, hoping more passengers would clear, before crew duty time limits forced it to depart.

Airline industry groups have since called the situation a "systemic failure" and are pressing the European Commission to grant border authorities powers to suspend EES checks whenever queues become unmanageable during the summer season.

Some countries have already reacted. Greece has temporarily exempted British passport holders from biometric registration entirely, reverting to traditional passport stamps for UK visitors. Portugal suspended the system at Lisbon, Porto and Faro departures during the worst of the congestion.

Spain, Italy and France are applying EES inconsistently across different airports and border points. The situation is still evolving, so it's worth checking the latest updates for your airport before you travel.

Some countries and airports have suspended the EES to help with congestion

Tips for UK travellers this summer

Arrive earlier than you think you need to: Industry bodies are currently recommending an extra 90 minutes to two hours at major European hubs. At the busiest airports – Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam and Frankfurt – some travellers are building in even more buffer.
Considering flying to your departure port a day early: spending a night at a hotel on the night before your cruise departs is the most efficient way to build a buffer.
Talk to your cruise line about disembarkation time: if your cruise ends at a major hub like Barcelona, talk to guest services about your disembarkation time to allow plenty of time to travel to the airport and go through passport control.
Fly into smaller airports where possible: Secondary hubs have typically been processing passengers faster than the mega-hubs. If your itinerary is flexible, it's worth considering.
Avoid early morning arrivals at busy airports: The 6–10am window is when long-haul waves from Asia, the Gulf and the Americas all converge, creating the worst backlogs.
Check your destination's current EES status before you travel: Greece, Portugal and others have applied exemptions or suspensions to the electronic EES check.
Book flexible fares where possible: If EES delays cause you to miss a flight, your rights around rebooking may depend on whether the delay is classed as within the airline's control. Most airlines are treating EES queues as outside their responsibility.

UK cruisers sailing from major EU cities like Barcelona should be particularly cautious

The next phase: when is ETIAS coming and how does it work?

ETIAS is a separate pre-travel authorisation scheme – think of it like the US ESTA – and it has not yet launched. The EU expects it to go live in the final quarter of 2026, approximately six months after EES was fully implemented, though no firm date has been set.

When ETIAS does launch, UK passport holders will need to apply online before travelling to any Schengen Area country, plus Cyprus. The application costs €20 per person (free for under-18s and over-70s). If granted, the authorisation is valid for three years and covers unlimited trips within that period, subject to the 90-days-in-180-days rule.

Most applications are expected to be processed in minutes, though some may take up to 30 days if additional checks are required – so don't leave it to the last minute.

A word of warning: fake websites claiming to sell ETIAS have already been identified. You cannot buy an ETIAS at present – the official system is not yet taking applications. When it does launch, only apply through the official EU channel.

How will EES and ETIAS affect UK cruisers?

ETIAS is the straightforward part: if you hold a British passport and are planning a cruise that calls at EU ports, you will need a valid travel authorisation once the system is live.

The rules for EES are different. If you embark or disembark at an EU port – such as Barcelona or Rome – you will need to go through EES processing to register or verify your data. But, if your cruise starts and ends outside the EU and only makes port calls in the EU, such as a round-trip from Southampton, day-trip passengers are exempt from EES processing.

For cruisers who do need to pass through EES – particularly those flying to join a ship at a European port – the current delays are a concern. Things should improve as travellers, ports, airports and border staff grow more familiar with the systems. But with summer 2026 now approaching and ETIAS still to come, disruption is likely to remain for the coming months.